Environmental Remediation and Waste Processing and Disposal

 

The Environmental Management Research and Development Program provides for the development of technologies to safely expedite tank waste processing and tank closure, remediation of contaminated groundwater and soil, disposition of nuclear materials and spent (used) nuclear fuel, and deactivation and decommissioning of contaminated excess facilities. The Environmental Management Research and Development program transforms science and innovation into practical solutions for environmental cleanup. The new technologies will transform the Environmental Management cleanup effort by reducing risk (technological, environmental, safety, and health), schedule, and cost. The Environmental Management Research and Development program focuses on resolving technical challenges with an overall emphasis on transformational technical solutions in response to the highest priority needs of Environmental Management sites. Applied engineering and research demonstrating the technical feasibility of high-risk, high-payoff technologies are included. The Environmental Management Research and Development program matures technologies from concept/basic science through feasibility assessment and technology development (bench scale and scale-up testing and flow-sheet evaluation), then production-level demonstration, and finally to full deployment.

Active 81.104 Department of Energy B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 Tank Waste • Develop the technical basis to identify, evaluate, and recommend cost-effective and environmentally-acceptable strategies and technologies to characterize, mitigate, and manage Technetium-99 in tank waste, including removal of Technetium-99 processing recycle streams. • Develop predictive tools to predict and demonstrate the performance of alternate waste forms, support the Cementitious Barrier’s Partnership, continue long-term glass studies, and develop improved capabilities such as computational fluid dynamic tools to optimize slurry mixing and transport waste loading including investigation and development of novel mixing methods. • Pursue technical efforts to develop strategies and technologies to understand, evaluate, optimize scale, and accelerate tank waste characterization and continue development of targeted cleaning methods thus enabling waste processing and tank closure schedules to be accelerated and costs reduced. • Identify, develop, evaluate, and demonstrate near-source tank separations, treatment and removal technologies for mercury and radionuclides of interest for possible development at the Hanford and/ or Savannah River Sites. • Begin efforts to demonstrate that a commercially available ion exchange technology for removing Cs-137 can be technically modified to treat the Savannah River Site highly radioactive waste tanks. Use of the technology will accelerate tank closure. Nuclear Waste Management and Disposition • Build on previous aging management efforts to monitor safe storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel. New Technology will support requirements for NRC license. • Conduct deep borehole field test. Soil and Groundwater Remediation • Support the utilization of Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management initially at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Savannah River Site, and the Nevada National Security Site. • Test and demonstrate the multi-agency exit strategy for pump and treat systems. • Complete pilot demonstration of a new paradigm for a long-term monitoring using master geochemical variables. • Complete the initial laboratory-scale evaluations of in-situ stabilization methods for elemental mercury in soil. • Complete the update of the conceptual model for mercury contamination at the Oak Ridge Reservation. Deactivation and Decommissioning • Develop the prerequisite level of project plans to facilitate and initiate development of next generation remote and robotic platforms and smart tooling systems to improve efficiency of decontamination and demolition operations. • Continue development/testing of the GrayQb 3-D Radiation Mapping Device to validate and provide real time intensity and location readouts. Develop and test automated digital non-destructive assay methods optimization resulting in near-real time defensible data. • Develop and test advanced coatings and materials to significantly reduce/eliminate radiolysis effects in radiological waste containment bags. • Conduct final testing and seek commercialization of incombustible agents and fixatives with delivery systems for remote decontamination operations. • Develop, test and conduct a pilot project, installing reliable sensors and remote network systems for long-term monitoring of containment release and movement from permanently entombed D&D facilities. • Continue with further application of the ISD Sensor Network at entombed and/or facilities awaiting entombment to establish data to augment the existing compliance monitoring network. Tank Waste • Develop the technical basis to identify, evaluate, and recommend cost-effective and environmentally-acceptable strategies and technologies to characterize, mitigate, and manage Technetium-99 in tank waste, including removal of Technetium-99 processing recycle streams. • Develop predictive tools to predict and demonstrate the performance of alternate waste forms, support the Cementitious Barrier’s Partnership, continue long-term glass studies, and develop improved capabilities such as computational fluid dynamic tools to optimize slurry mixing and transport waste loading including investigation and development of novel mixing methods. • Pursue technical efforts to develop strategies and technologies to understand, evaluate, optimize scale, and accelerate tank waste characterization and continue development of targeted cleaning methods thus enabling waste processing and tank closure schedules to be accelerated and costs reduced. • Identify, develop, evaluate, and demonstrate near-source tank separations, treatment and removal technologies for mercury and radionuclides of interest for possible development at the Hanford and/ or Savannah River Sites. • Begin efforts to demonstrate that a commercially available ion exchange technology for removing Cs-137 can be technically modified to treat the Savannah River Site highly radioactive waste tanks. Use of the technology will accelerate tank closure. Nuclear Waste Management and Disposition • Build on previous aging management efforts to monitor safe storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel. New Technology will support requirements for NRC license. • Conduct deep borehole field test. Soil and Groundwater Remediation • Support the utilization of Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management initially at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Savannah River Site, and the Nevada National Security Site. • Test and demonstrate the multi-agency exit strategy for pump and treat systems. • Complete pilot demonstration of a new paradigm for a long-term monitoring using master geochemical variables. • Complete the initial laboratory-scale evaluations of in-situ stabilization methods for elemental mercury in soil. • Complete the update of the conceptual model for mercury contamination at the Oak Ridge Reservation. Deactivation and Decommissioning • Develop the prerequisite level of project plans to facilitate and initiate development of next generation remote and robotic platforms and smart tooling systems to improve efficiency of decontamination and demolition operations. • Continue development/testing of the GrayQb 3-D Radiation Mapping Device to validate and provide real time intensity and location readouts. Develop and test automated digital non-destructive assay methods optimization resulting in near-real time defensible data. • Develop and test advanced coatings and materials to significantly reduce/eliminate radiolysis effects in radiological waste containment bags. • Conduct final testing and seek commercialization of incombustible agents and fixatives with delivery systems for remote decontamination operations. • Develop, test and conduct a pilot project, installing reliable sensors and remote network systems for long-term monitoring of containment release and movement from permanently entombed D&D facilities. • Continue with further application of the ISD Sensor Network at entombed and/or facilities awaiting entombment to establish data to augment the existing compliance monitoring network.
Fiscal Year 2019 Tank Waste • Continue projects that support innovations and enhancements in the areas of tank waste and nuclear waste management, soil and groundwater remediation, and deactivation and decommissioning activities. • Continue activities in the areas of Technetium-99, mercury, Cesium-137 and Strontium-90, the creation and operation of test beds, and integration of advanced tooling for enhanced worker safety and productivity, as outlined below: Technetium-99 • Validate technetium-99 mass balance for integrated disposal facility acceptance • Complete development of non-pertechnetate sensor • Develop technetium-99 biogeochemical remediation approaches Mercury • Complete pre-demolition and demolition assessment for efficacy of debris sorting to segregate mercury-bearing waste • Complete development of caps, reactive liners, and chemical amendments for mercury disposal cells Vitrification • Continue to improve on glass formulations (complex-wide) and optimize processing (Savannah River) Test Bed: Low Activity Tank Waste Disposition • Complete test bed for low activity waste at Hanford Enhanced Worker Safety (Science of Safety) • Complete test bed to demonstrate robotics at Portsmouth for pipe inspection and other critical decommissioning work activities • Conduct robotic test bed demonstration at Savannah River Site H-Canyon air exhaust tunnel inspection • Continue federal agency collaboration to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer Mission Enablers • Continue research and technology development in the deployment of state-of-the-art tooling, address persistent challenges in soil and water remediation, and improve the use of the sustainable concrete and grouts
Fiscal Year 2020 •Continue projects that support innovations and enhancements for DOE-EM sites highest priority needs in the areas of tank waste and nuclear waste management, soil and groundwater remediation, and deactivation and decommissioning activities. •Continue activities in the areas of Technetium-99, Mercury, Cesium-137 and Strontium-90, the creation and operation of test beds, and integration of advanced tooling for enhanced worker safety and productivity. •Continue projects that support innovations and enhancements in the areas of tank waste and nuclear waste management, soil and groundwater remediation, and deactivation and decommissioning activities.
Fiscal Year 2021 • Continue to establish test bed programs at various sites, across the EM complex, which will allow innovative technologies and approaches to be evaluated to determine their usefulness for clean-up. • Continue to provide technical assistance for the sites utilizing the technical subject matter experts that reside at DOE's national laboratories, academia, private industry, and other Federal agencies. • Continue to enhance and deploy technologies and workforce advancements in areas of worker safety, tank waste cleanup, soil/groundwater remediation, and facility decommissioning and decontamination.
Fiscal Year 2022 • Continue to establish test beds programs at various sites, across the EM complex, that will allow evaluation of innovative technologies and approaches addressing the highest site priority needs. • Provides technical assistance for the sites to address unique challenges for which there is currently no solution or a proposed solution which needs improvement. These technical subject matter experts reside at DOE's national laboratories, academia, private industry, international facilities, and other Federal agencies. • Continue to enhance and deploy technologies and workforce advancements in areas of worker safety, tank waste cleanup, soil/groundwater remediation, and facility decommissioning and decontamination.
Fiscal Year 2023 • Continue to establish test bed programs at various sites, across the EM complex, which will allow innovative technologies and approaches to be evaluated to determine their usefulness for clean-up. • Continue to provide technical assistance for the sites utilizing the technical subject matter experts that reside at DOE's national laboratories, academia, private industry, and other Federal agencies. • Continue to enhance and deploy technologies and workforce advancements in areas of worker safety, tank waste cleanup, soil/groundwater remediation, and facility decommissioning and decontamination. • Continue to support the National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program to address issues related to storing, transporting, processing, and disposing of Department-owned and managed spent nuclear fuel. • Continue to support work associated with qualification, testing and research to advance the state-of-the-art containment ventilation systems. Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act of 1990, Public Law 101-615
Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977, as amended, Public Law 96-573
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act, Public Law 99-240
Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, Public Law 93-438
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, Section 31, as amended, Public Law 83-703 Public, quasi-public, private industry, individuals, groups, educational institutions, organizations, and nonprofit organizations may apply including State or local level governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and institutions in U.S. Territories and possessions may apply. Determinations are made by DOE EM Headquarters or EM Field Offices, or both. States, affected Indian tribes, regional organizations, (including U.S. Territories) local governments, and the public will benefit. Cost will also be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-21 for institutions of higher education or as otherwise defined in the financial assistance instrument. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. A formal proposal by the organization interested in doing the work must be submitted through an appropriate official of the corporate entity, organization, or institution. Financial assistance requests will be reviewed pursuant to the Office of Environmental Management Merit Review System (May 5, 1991) and the DOE Financial Assistance Manual, as amended. Award decisions may be made by DOE Headquarters throughout the fiscal year. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines The approximate approval/disapproval time is from 2 months to 1 year. Not applicable. From 120 to 180 days. Proposals for renewal are subject to review and acceptance by DOE Headquarters, the field, or both. Research must be beneficial to the overall accomplishment of the program objectives and consistent with the criteria of the EM Merit Review System (i.e., technically meritorious, qualified principal investigators, adequate facilities for conduct of the work, past experience and performance history). Financial assistance is provided in support of the program objectives. Restrictions on the use of funds depend on the provisions of the specific project agreement. Applicants must meet the guidelines established by DOE or contained in the specific Congressional authorization for a particular program being supported. Performance Reports: Performance monitoring will be determined at time of award. Costs incurred are subject to audit throughout the contract or grant period and before final close-out. The extent and frequency of audits depend on the size of the contract/grant and the specific contract/grant provisions. A grantee is expected to maintain auditable records to substantiate the total costs incurred under the grant or cooperative agreement. In addition, if cost sharing is required, the grantee is also expected to maintain auditable records for the cost sharing portion of the award. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. Match requirements will be determined depending upon the award.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Length and time phasing of assistance will vary with the program phase and activity. The maximum term of an award is 5 years. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Lump. None/Not specified. Latrincy M. Bates
Office of Subsurface Closure, EM-4.12
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585 US
latrincy.bates@em.doe.gov
Phone: 301-903-7654 https://www.energy.gov/em/office-environmental-management 89-0251-0-1-053 (Cooperative Agreements) FY 22$19,353,344.00; FY 23 est $40,000,000.00; FY 24 est $30,000,000.00; - Not applicable/available. Not applicable. Not applicable.